Cargo Description: Bound for Escanaba from Chicago with a cargo of sundries: 500 barrels of salt, 5 barrels of oil, 5 barrels of coal tar, 2 tons of box freight, new boxes.

Length: 89.60

Beam: 21.00

Depth of Hold: 7.38

Hull Material: wood

Gross Tonnage: 95.31

Propulsion Type: sail

Number of Masts: 2

Rig Type: schooner

Vessel

Location

Body of Water: Lake Michigan

County: Milwaukee

Nearest City: Milwaukee

Latitude: N 43° 04.200'

Longitude: W 087° 48.139'

Vessel

Builder

Registry Number: 367

Builder: Thayer

Year Built: 1854

Location Built: Ashtabula, OH

Owners: E. Smith

Home Port: Milwaukee, WI

Service History

The Ashtabula collided with the schooners Essex and J & A Stronach, all repaired.
One life was lost during a collision with an unknown vessel on the 20th of November, 1871, she was repaired at Sheboygan.
Last Document of Enrollment: Surrendered, Milwaukee 6/30/1884: "Wrecked".

Final Voyage

The fore and aft schooner Ashtabula was bound from Chicago to Escanaba with a cargo of salt. She was approximately fifteen miles north of Milwaukee, unable to make any headway in a strong gale, and therefore forced to turn back for Milwaukee. When coming about, the ship began to leak and even though her pumps were manned, capsized after her foresail was carried away, about 3 miles off North Point near Milwaukee. The vessel straightened as she went down, leaving four feet of her topmasts protruding from the water's surface. The crew managed to leave in the yawl just before the Ashtabula rolled over and went to the bottom.